Rascal Flatts and SAT

Rascal Flatts is going to be in concert tonight at the LJVM Coliseum and I wanted to go since I first learned that they were coming. So, I looked online back before Christmas about ticket prices and dates. I was disappointed because, at the time, I was planning on taking Savannah and a group of girls to the Revolve Tour, a Christian event for teen girls for pure living... but all of that was out the window when I learned that Savannah's date to take the SAT was Saturday morning January 24th. This totally threw us out of the running for the Revolve Tour, as this is an event that lasts Friday evening and all day Saturday. So, up until last night, our plans were Fridays as usual. Work/ school, belly dancing, Special Olympics practice and then chill out at home... then I got a call from one of my best friends. Her son who works for a radio station had a couple of tix to see Rascal Flatts concert Friday night and wanted to know if I wanted them... do I even need to say what my reply was? So, my conversation with Savannah went along these lines.
Me: Savannah, what time do you need to go to bed for the SAT?
Savannah: I don't know, why?
Me: Well, we have an opportunity to go somewhere we were wanting to go... but I need to know what time you think you need to go to bed.
Savannah: Moooooommmmmm, just teeeellll mmmmeeee!!!!!
When I told her where it was, she was thrilled. She usually doesn't go to sleep before 11pm anyway, so I am thinking that she will be fine.
So, now I have gotten practice covered, sent the routine to one of my Assistants and a couple of parents, belly dancing will be there next week, and I can chill out tomorrow!!
Rascal Flatts, here we come! The saving grace in this scenario is that the concert is in Winston-Salem, and not Charlotte or Greensboro!

That still puts Savannah getting up early in the morning to take her SAT. She has to be at the school at 7:45am. Please put her in your prayers. Actuallly, I am hoping the concert will take her mind off the stress of the test, itself. We all know there is no way to study for this test, and she is like me and has serious test anxiety.

So, as for tonight, we are Rascal Flatts bound... tomorrow, it's SAT city!

God bless!

Childhood

One of my favorite movies is "Hope Floats" and at the end of the movie, they are commenting on the effect your childhood has on you... my favorite line in that is "childhood is what you spend the rest of your life trying to overcome".... and there are parts of my childhood that I can say I feel that way about... but there are other times that were so fun. My cousin Jennifer recalled a time when we went tubing down her front yard during the snow, which dug up other memories... fun and simple, and sometimes sad memories of a childhood long past. My first memory was of my mom coming into my room and helping me out of a baby doll stroller that my friend had decided that I should climb into, I think I was three... I distinctly remember that stroller pinching my fingers... I can still recall the throbbing! I also remember the hardest day of my life was when my Aunt Phyll was with my sister and I, and she bought us ice cream and we went down to the courthouse. Not too long before that, I remember being with my mom in an apartment in Kernersville and playing with my Silly Putty and my dad coming to pick us up. I also remember my dad not taking us back like he was supposed to a few days later. Phyll was buying us ice cream that day to help with the hurt of my dad ripping us from our mother, my Aunt Phyll and my mom were the only angels that I had that day and many other times back then.... that is the part of my childhood I am still trying to overcome... the time of a baby girl without her mother and the longing feeling I always had for her and the way my dad, until the day I left his home, tried to keep me from my mother, all just to hurt her. He even told my stepmother that he did it just to spite my mom and that my mom was a good mom, he just wanted her to hurt because he knew that my sister and I were my mom's life and that without us, she would be heart broken, I wonder why some people are so sadistic...Now, my life and my mother's life was forever changed... all because a grown man only thought of himself, and thought of himself as God. So, thanks for the memories on that one PeeWee... there is a good explanation if one was wondering why I don't want to have anything to do with my father.

But some of the BEST memories I have of my childhood are playing with my sister, and my cousins and being in the UMYF at Morris Chapel UMC, which saved my life so many times, and of course spending time with my mom. Although while living on the farm we had to work, my sister, Vicki and my cousins Sherry and Jenn and I had lots of fun, too... one summer while packing tobacco, I recall the toy of choice was a box that some type of appliance came in... oh, that became our little playhouse. We drew in everything from curtains to a rug in that little house! We cut out windows that opened and closed and had the best time! We would also take walks down into the woods behind "the old house", which was an old homeplace behind the fields where corn, tobacco and other crops were planted. We would trek down there and nose around the house, hoping to find treasure. We did find a trophy one day beside the pack house, I think it was someone's bowling trophy.. why it was there, I don't know!
I also loved being a part of the UMYF at Morris Chapel, my church family was so important to me then, they did indeed help to fill a void. As a part of UMYF, we did so many fun things, we had Rock-a-thons, car washes, impromptu volleyball and tag football games. What is a rock-a-thon, you ask? Well, one sits in a rocking chair for 12 hours to raise money... okay, we never sat in them the whole time, but we had to keep the chair rocking for that amount of time, except for when we took bathroom and stretch breaks! I have laid on the floor and rocked my chair with my fingers!! We would pack snacks, sleeping bags, Atari and Beta tapes of movies!!! It was a great time! I also remember a time when we had a mock wedding.. the whole church turned out! I think one of my favorite times was when we did the live Nativity scene annually. We would have live animals and greenery, as well as the "stable"... our angels would be on ladders and the roof behind the "stable"... and the music was beautiful. We always had hot chocolate awaiting us after our shift was over... but the best thing I got from being a part of that group, was my relationship with Jesus... He is my rock and my salvation!
And I will tell you, I have the most beautiful mom! She had the longest and prettiest blonde hair! And you talk about spoiling someone rotten... I loved to be sick in her care! She would wait on me hand and foot and was so accomodating, and still is! I would even fake being sick sometimes just to get her undivided attention! But she was always sweet... granted we had our times, but those were mostly because of me... I was a teenager at one time, do I need to say anything else? I am so thankful for my mom and for the time that I have with her... she is the strongest and kindest woman I know and I am so proud of her... and I depend on her now with advice on how to help Savannah to become the strong and independent young lady that she will need to be to survive in today's society. What a great role model Savannah and I both have in her... I have always been and always will be my mom's baby, her "punkin"!

Thank you God for all of my childhood, even the hard times, I give thanks!

Well, it tried to snow!

I awoke this morning to utter disappointment, very little snow. I was so hoping for a day of snuggling in bed or on the couch, watching TV and aggravating Savannah... didn't happen. I guess the last time we had a really good snow, and I mean really good, Savannah was maybe two and we lived in an apartment on Jonestown Rd. in Winston-Salem... Oh it was so fun. My cousin Sherri and I put her little tail on a sled and just pulled her everywhere... she loved it! And talk about cute, she had this little pink hat with white fur trim and she would say "it's cold outside, the frost will bite your toes off"... or should I say, she sang it! I do remember when she got a little older, we went with Papa Steve to Steve Keener's house, a friend of the family. At the time, he lived in a little house that was right on a pond and there was hill on the other side. Oh the fun we had going down that hill and praying the sled didn't venture toward the pond! Great fun! Now I also remember when I was little, going sledding down Beeson Dairy Rd. and my cousin, Annie B. pulling us back up the hill in a vehicle... I think it was her dad's Bronco. Wouldn't dream of doing that now... but it was so much fun! And how can I forget the time when I was in my teen years and went with my sister and a bunch of her friends sledding down Rural Hall Elementary's side hill on the greatest aluminum signs... you talk about flying! I felt like Chevy Chase on Christmas Vacation!!! Too fun! I wish that my child could experience just a little bit of the snow that we used to have, not that it was a lot or that frequent, but we did get at least one little snow every year. I have a friend that lives in Canada and it is averaging -12 there with so much snow, they can't keep it shoveled. I have requested just a little of it for down here, but so far, no luck!
Well, I will keep wishing for snow at least as long as it is cold... I figure if we must suffer, at least we should have something pretty to look at and play in! I just hope that those that are without shelter during these really cold times are able to find warmth and a place to stay... thank you God for all the many blessings you have given me and my family... and for even the littlest bit of snow... God is good...

Frustrated and blessed

Okay, someone please explain to me how to lose weight. I am eating right, or better than before... still low fat and fewer calories... and exercising, both cardio and strength for at least 3 times a week. Do you just lose any sight of a metabolism after 35? Is this a cruel joke? I kickbox until I can hardly breathe and Zumba until I am sore... what is the secret? I look back at how little I used to be and wonder how to get there again. Now, I know, I will never be a size 5 again, and I am not so sure I need to be, but size 9 would be nice.. 7, just a dream. I do know that stress can make you hold onto weight like nobody's business, so I am trying to keep stress to a minimum, well at least what I can control. I do have a 16 year old! I am trying to stay motivated, and I actually enjoy going to the Y... I would just like to see some results. Am I too impatient? I know this needs to be a slow process in order for it to be a lifestyle change, but everytime those results are not there, it is a little discouraging. I know this is a problem that many women have, I just wish I knew something that could not only help myself, but others get out of the perverbial rut that we seem to get ourselves into.... I don't know, I am just going to keep on plugging away and keep exercising, surely there has to be some visible results to come soon.

Savannah will be taking the SAT next Saturday, please keep her in your thoughts! She is nervous about this test, as she is with any test. So much rides on this, the good thing, they can take it again and they will go with your best score. Hard to believe she is as old as she is. I know it is cliche, but they really do grow so fast. Seems like just yesterday she was playing tea party wanting everyone to sit down on her little chair and playing dress up. How I miss those days. I thank God for my gift of being a mother to a young lady whom I think will surely do great things in her life, heck, she already has. God is good!

Exercising Mind and Body, Again!

I am extremely sore today, as the last two nights of Zumba and Kickboxing have kicked my butt, not to mention lifting weights after each class. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying these activities and am a willing participant. I can't believe I used to dance and be a dancing boot in school... did I get sore then? I don't remember if I did... I am trying madly to get back into shape, as the last two years have been physically hard for me. I was unable to do any type of exercise, as I had back issues so severe that I was placed on Epilepsy meds to help with the nerve pain. I had surgery in July and I am pleased to report that I have no more pain and am on no more meds, other than the Advil or Alleve for minor aches and pains. And I am thinking that most of those are a part of the normal aging process, yep, this looks like fun!
So, the Y is one of my new favorite places to be! It really has lifted my spirits to be able to exercise again... not only was I not physically able to do so before, I was in a relationship with someone that was so jealous and controlling, that he made me cancel my membership to the Y in the past because there were men there. Then I had to cancel my Curves membership because getting into shape meant that I wanted other men to look at me.... NEVER AGAIN, I will say it again, NEVER AGAIN will I allow myself to be controlled or posessed by another individual. Ironically enough, I worked in domestic violence for years while we were dating and I can't tell you how relieved he was when I left there. That is when things really started to get worse. I am trying to be empowered and learn from all the bad relationships that I have been in and hope and pray that my daughter does not fall into the same pattern. I don't think she will, as she lays it on the line before she will even get to know a boy. She tells them that they will not mistreat her in any way, or they will hit the road. She is also not shy at all about announcing her decision to remain a virgin until marriage, and if that is on their mind, she tells them again, that she is not the one for them... I don't know, but I think I may have done one thing right..... thank you Lord for the wonderful Savannah blessing that you have given me to watch over...
Well, I am off to Kickboxing and weights tonight, and then tomorrow, Bellydancing and cheerleading... God is good!

Catching up!!!

Wow, long time since I have posted.... a lot has changed! No longer in a relationship! Yippee! Never stay in something that doesn't make you feel good, loved and safe. I have a tendency to do that, well no more... New Year, New ME!!!!!!
Anyway, Savannah is now 16 and is precious! She is a great student, leader and volunteer! She started a Special Olympics cheer squad in November 2007 and we went to our first competition in March 2008. This was a state competition and the girls won Bronze! Awesome for first year competing! We started with 4 last year and are now up to 13 cheerleaders! Great job Savvy!
She is also the President of the Davie County 4-H Teen Association for the 3rd time! She loves 4-H, and it is an awesome way for kids to learn about leadership, citizenship, community service and record keeping! I highly recommend it!
She also serves on the Davie County NC Cooperative Extension and Davie County 4-H Advisory Leadership Committees. Very busy young lady, can you tell I am proud?
She is also a Sports Medicine Trainer for the Davie County High School football teams... she loves doing that, and it has sparked a new interest in her!
She is hoping to go to Salem College.... wow, she is growing up! I, too, am thinking about going back to school... who knows, the sky is the limit...
We are tackling after holiday hustle at our house! We are cleaning out and organizing! Love it! Have recently joined the Y and my new favorite thing is Zumba!!! Lots of fun and a great workout! Want to lose weight and get healthy this new year!